ANN ARBOR, MI - A total of 115 deer in Ann Arbor were killed by city-hired sharpshooters during the city's third-annual deer cull, which came to an end on Wednesday, Jan. 31.

The reported total was less than half the city's goal, which was to kill up to 250 deer.

A deer walks across a path near Geddes Avenue in Ann Arbor. Kyle Mattson | kylemattson@mlive.com

"There were a number of challenges the lethal program faced which contributed to the removal rate," states a post-cull memo from City Administrator Howard Lazarus to the City Council.

The memo indicates those challenges included the inability to access certain areas where deer are located (due in part to a 1,000-foot buffer restriction from public schools under federal law), weather patterns, and, to a lesser extent, interruptions from protesters.

Anti-cull protesters sought out locations where sharpshooters were working this past month and made noise nearby, chanting: "Stop the shoot! Save the deer!"

Lisa Abrams, a member of anti-cull group Friends of Ann Arbor Wildlife in Nature, said her group exercised its constitutional right to free speech and peacefully demonstrated to make their voices heard.

"We're pleased," she said of the city falling short of its goal, though she said 115 deer killed is still 115 too many and she considers it wasteful for the city to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on deer management when the money could go to other priorities.

About 73.3 percent of Ann Arbor residents consider the city's deer-management program acceptable, according to a survey conducted by Michigan State University on the city's behalf last year.

The program changed this year with shooting now allowed closer to residences, prompting new concerns.

The city hired Connecticut-based White Buffalo to carry out the cull for the second year in a row.

The shooting took place in several city parks and nature areas, as well as other locations such as University of Michigan properties and some private properties, over 25 days, from Jan. 7-31. The end result was about four or five deer shot per day on average.

A total of 156 deer were killed during the city's two previous culls in 2016 and 2017. This year's cull was the most extensive yet.

"Where access and weather permitted White Buffalo to operate, there were some important successes for the program," Lazarus' post-cull memo states. "White Buffalo's preliminary conclusion is that some areas in Wards 1 and 2 may only require monitoring and maintenance going forward. These areas will be identified more clearly in a final assessment report available in June."

In addition, Lazarus said, White Buffalo demonstrated it could successfully and safely operate on private property.

Despite some residents' fears about shooting close to homes with a 450-foot safety-zone rule no longer in effect, the city reports there were no firearm-related injuries.

"Each year the program has used its data collection efforts to improve the effectiveness of the program," Lazarus' memo states.

"The final report this year will also identify potential strategies for getting the remaining portions of Wards 1 and 2 to a monitoring and maintenance status."

For the second year in a row, the city also contracted with White Buffalo for surgical sterilization of deer in certain areas of Ann Arbor in early January before the lethal cull began. Deer sterilized were given ear tags and were not to be shot during the cull.

Though it was initially reported last month that 19 were sterilized, the city is now reporting it as 18 sterilizations. That's because one of the 19 deer sterilized last month also underwent surgery last year and was counted among the 54 sterilizations last year, though the surgeon was unable to find that deer's ovaries last year.

City officials established a $370,000 budget for this year's deer management program. Based on the results, they now expect the final expenses to be under that amount.

The original plan was to spend $260,000 this year and $260,000 next year, but an extra $110,000 was added to this year's budget as the city decided to try to kill significantly more deer this year.

According to the post-cull memo, that $110,000 increase lowered next year's budget to $150,000. Now some of that money may be shifted back to next year's budget as efforts continue to get the deer population to a level the city considers manageable.

Michigan State University is expected to conduct a post-cull survey of residents in the next couple months to gauge feelings about the program. Results are expected by May 31.

A research report from White Buffalo is expected in March, followed by a new deer-browse study report from a local ecologist in May.

The city expects to have a full summary report of this year's deer management activities in June or July.